Download Final Report DURIP AFOSR Grant FA9550-06-1

Final Report
DURIP AFOSR Grant FA9550-06-1-0285
May 1, 2006-April 15, 2007
Advanced Laser and RF Plasma Sources and Diagnostics
J. E. Scharer, PI
Electrical and Computer Engineering Department
Center for Plasma Theory and Computation
University of Wisconsin – Madison
Abstract
We have purchased and have running state-of-the-art equipment that enhances our research
capabilities for efficient laser initiation and radiofrequency sustainment of plasmas and diagnostics in
air, as well as near microwave windows and on cathode surfaces as part of the MURI on Nano-physics
of Electron Emission and Breakdown for High Power Microwaves. Our current research on AFOSR
Grant FA9550-06-1-0172 is greatly enhanced by the new source equipment and diagnostics. We have
purchased equipment that will enable experimental demonstration of an instantaneous and highly
efficient (> 90%) matching scheme for a pulsed high-density (1012-13/cc), large-volume (>500 cc) laserinitiated and rf-sustained high-pressure plasma source. We have also purchased and have operative
optical, vacuum chamber and diagnostic equipment for UV laser formation of microplasmas in air (70
Torr to 5 atm) as well as near a dielectric window to examine microwave breakdown processes. Our
200 mJ, 20 ns pulse time, 10 MW, 193 nm wavelength UV excimer laser can now produce focused
power fluxes of S=108-11 W/cm2 that are comparable to and can exceed current high power microwave
power breakdown fluxes. Research literature has shown that microwave, laser, and radiofrequency air
breakdown are all caused by an electron cascade process that lies on a universal breakdown field vs.
pressure curve that makes the laser breakdown relevant to the microwave window breakdown process.
We also have purchased an ACTON spectrometer (0.75 m focal length) with Princeton ICCD detector
and camera to measure the optical emission and shadowgraphy from the window breakdown process.
This diagnostic will provide high resolution (0.03 nm) spectral measurements for density and
temperature diagnostics for both our laser window and radiofrequency air plasmas. We have also
acquired a tunable 668 nm diode laser, optical filters, splitters, wavemeter, isolators, a fast scope and
lock-in amplifiers to carry out laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) to measure rf plasma source ion drifts
and temperature distributions for our laser and RF formed plasmas. This equipment has been made
operative and we can now measure plasma Doppler ion drift and temperatures non-invasively that
correspond to 0.1 picometer = 0.0001 nm wavelength resolution or 0.001 eV accuracy. This new
equipment is allowing us to make substantial advances in efficient production and diagnosis of
instantaneous, high-density, pulsed plasma production, and the nanophysics of high-power microwave
window breakdown. The following sections describe the new plasma source systems and state-of-theart diagnostics we have developed with this equipment in 1) laser-RF formed high density plasmas, 2)
laser focus air breakdown and comparison with microwave breakdown and 3) measurement of plasma
ion distributions in plasma sources. The report concludes with a detailed list of the equipment
purchased and prices.
Table of Contents
I. High-Pressure Laser-RF Plasma Experiment Equipment Upgrade (Siqi Luo, Ryan Giar and John E.
Scharer)...................................................................................................................................................... 3
I.A. New RF Detecting and Dynamic Tuning System.......................................................................... 5
I.B. New Spectrograph and ICCD imaging system...............................................................................6
II. New Laser Focused Air Breakdown Plasma System (Magesh Thiyagarajan and John E. Scharer).....8
II.A. Temporal and Spatial Evolution Measurements Using Optical Shadowgraphy Technique.........9
II.A.1. New Shadowgraphy Diagnostic Setup..................................................................................9
II.B. Plasma Electron and Neutral Density Measurements Using Two-Color Optical Interferometry
Technique............................................................................................................................................ 10
II.B.1. Optical Interferometry.........................................................................................................10
II.C. Temperature Measurements Using Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES)............................... 11
II.C.1. Temperature Measurements in Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium.................................. 11
II.C.2. Spectroscopic Measurement Setup......................................................................................12
III. Helicon System Description (C. Mark Denning, Matt Wiebold and John E. Scharer)......................13
IV. Equipment List...................................................................................................................................16
I.
High-Pressure Laser-RF Plasma Experiment Equipment Upgrade (Siqi Luo, Ryan Giar and
John E. Scharer)
The overall schematic diagram of the high-pressure laser-RF plasma experiment at the University of
Wisconsin–Madison is presented in Fig. 1. The objective of this experiment is to study the laserinitiated, RF-sustained plasma in the atmospheric pressure region (760 Torr). The new DURIP
equipment includes the matching network updated with RF detecting and dynamic tuning system and
the Spectrograph and ICCD imaging system. The 105 GHz millimeter wave interferometer is also
updated with a new I-Q mixer. The updated equipment is presented in Fig. 1 in blue color. This
experiment shares the key equipment, a Lumonics Pulsemaster excimer laser, with the new laser
focused air breakdown plasma experiment. So an effective arrangement is made in which the laser
focused air breakdown system is inserted between the excimer laser and the high-pressure laser-RF
plasma system (Fig. 2). In this arrangement, two experiments can be carried out simultaneously with
minimal interference. The above mentioned new and updated equipment have allowed us to advance
the high pressure laser-RF plasma experiment as will be shown in the next two sections.
Fig. 1: Schematic diagram of the high pressure Laser-RF plasma experiment.
Fig. 2: Photograph of the high-pressure plasma arrangement. Both the laser focused air breakdown
system and the high pressure laser-RF plasma system are aligned with the excimer laser so the two
experiments can be carried out in tandem.
Fig. 3. Laser-RF Plasma System (Siqi Luo, Ryan Giar and John Scharer)
I.A.
New RF Detecting and Dynamic Tuning System
The RF detecting circuit employs a dual directional coupler, a set of RF envelope detectors, and a
comparator circuit to detect and compare the incident and reflected RF power at the input of the match
box (Fig. 4). The dynamic tuning system, also show in Fig. 4, is composed of a set of high voltage RF
relays that switch the matching circuit timed with the comparator output signal. This RF detecting and
dynamic tuning system enables fast plasma generation within 0.5 seconds in 760 Torr air and nitrogen,
and ensures low RF power reflection during the entire plasma pulse (Fig. 5). The high pressure air
plasma thus created is shown in Fig. 6.
Fig. 4: Circuit diagram of the RF power matching system including the RF power detecting and
dynamic tuning circuit.
Fig. 5: Incident and reflected RF power during a 2-second plasma pulse.
Fig. 6: Photograph of the high-pressure air plasma.
I.B.
New Spectrograph and ICCD imaging system
The new Acton 0.75 m spectrograph and Andor ICCD equipment allows us to accurately diagnose
the high-pressure air plasma optical emission spectroscopy, and infer thermodynamic characteristics of
the plasmas created, especially the rotational and vibrational temperatures of certain plasma species
(Trot and Tvib), such as N2. Because the profiles of the molecular transitions such as N2 C-B are a strong
function of the rotational and vibrational temperatures, we can infer these temperatures by matching the
experimental spectra to the computer simulated ones and finding the best matching temperatures (Fig.
7).
Fig. 7: Match between the experimental and computational N2 C-B spectra. Trot=1800 K, Tvib=2400
K is inferred from the best fit.
Optical emission spectra are taken at a series of lateral positions along the radius of the plasma
column. The lateral emission signals are then Abel-inverted into radial emission signals. A special air
plasma spectra simulation program, Specair, is used to simulate the emission spectra based on
parameters including Trot and Tvib. The best fit temperatures are good indications of actual temperatures
in the plasmas created. Furthermore, the radial variation of Trot and Tvib can be obtained by fitting
simulated spectra to actual spectra from different radial positions. The results are presented in Fig. 8.
Fig. 8: Rotational and vibrational temperatures of N2 from the N2 C-B radiation.
II.
New Laser Focused Air Breakdown Plasma System (Magesh Thiyagarajan and John E.
Scharer)
The completely new, DURIP funded experimental setup for the 193 nm laser focused electrical
breakdown is shown as a schematic diagram in Fig. 9. The objective is to study air plasma breakdown
in the range of 90 to 760 Torr air and use laser-to-microwave frequency scaling to relate to the MURI
microwave breakdown conditions. The experimental setup utilizes our existing 193 nm UV excimer
laser and the new experimental equipment is shown in blue on Fig. 9. A uniform intensity ultraviolet
(UV) beam of 193 nm wavelength is produced using the excimer laser (Lumonics Pulsemaster PM842) that runs in the ArF (6.4 eV per photon) mode.
Focusing
Filter Polarizer
Lens Group
Pressure
Gauge
1m Double
Spectrometer
ICCD
Window
193 nm UV
Laser Beam
Optics
Flow Meter
Valve
Ar N2 O2
Gate Valve
Lab PC
Mechanical
Pump
Fig. 9: Experimental setup for focused laser breakdown.
The laser beam passes through a 193nm UV optics group, which consists of a polarizer for parallel
or perpendicular polarization of the laser beam, a 6 cm diameter and 15 cm focal length lens with an
anti reflection coating, and a 5 cm diameter fused silica window. These are special optics designed to
work with 99% transparency at 193 nm. The chamber pressure is varied in the range of 90 Torr to 760
Torr using a mechanical pump and the pressure is monitored accurately using a MEMS-based pressure
gauge (MKS model 910). For background gas dry air will be our major interest. The system also has
three primary diagnostic systems: shadowgraphy diagnostics to investigate the spatial and temporal
evolution of the breakdown and plasma expansion, two-color interferometry technique for electron and
neutral number density measurements, and optical emission spectroscopy diagnostics for density and
temperature measurements.
II.A.
Temporal and Spatial Evolution Measurements Using Optical Shadowgraphy Technique
Plasma
Detecting Plane
Fig. 10: (a) Refraction of a laser beam by a nonuniform plasma. (b) Shadowgraphic image of a laser
induced plasma evolution
An optical shadowgraphy technique is used for temporal and spatial evolution of the plasma. In
this technique a beam of light from an intense source, usually a low power (5 – 10 mW) probe laser, is
launched through the plasma and falls directly upon a photographic detecting plane as shown in the
Fig. 10.(a). If the refractive index in the test section n is uniform, the screen will be essentially
uniformly illuminated. If, however, the gradient of n varies in space, as one may expect in high density
(1014 – 1018 cm-3) plasma, - i.e., if there is a second derivative of the refractive index – there will be
variations in the illumination of the screen as shown in the Fig. 10 (b). For example, regions where the
second derivative is negative will act like converging lenses. The spatial variation of the refractive
index across a probing beam is measured by shadowgraphy to give information on the plasma.
II.A.1.
New Shadowgraphy Diagnostic Setup
Expander
M1
He-Ne 632.8nm
10 mW Probe Laser
P F
ArF Excimer
193-nm UV Laser
BS1
L
A
EM1
Computer
BS2
Oscilloscope
Delay Generator
EM2
OD
F
Shutter Control
ICCD
Fig. 11: Schematic of the shadowgraphy technique. Attenuator (A), Polarizer (P), Filter (F), Beam
Splitter (BS), Lens (L), Mirror(M).
The schematic diagram of the shadowgraphy diagnostic setup is shown in Fig. 11. In this setup a
He-Ne laser at λ = 632.8 nm (JDS Uniphase, model 1125P) operating in the TEM00 mode with a power
of 10 mW and beam diameter of 0.81 mm will be used as the probe laser. The laser beam is expanded
20 times to cover the entire plasma area (~1-2 cm2) using an optical expander. The beam is operated in
the CW mode and sent through the plasma falling directly onto the Intensified CCD (Fig. 12).
Fig. 12: New Gen III ICCD detector
The imaging operation is synchronized with the laser breakdown using a delay generator and shutter
control. The optics setup is positioned rigidly on a very stable workbench in order to overcome any
small vibrations.
II.B. Plasma Electron and Neutral Density Measurements Using Two-Color Optical
Interferometry Technique
II.B.1.
Optical Interferometry
Optical interferometry is a non-perturbing diagnostic technique used to measure plasma density.
Microwave interferometry is limited in range of application due to plasma frequency cutoff. Laser
induced plasma densities range from 1015 – 1020 cm-3, which demand optical interferometry diagnostics.
This technique is based on the spatial variation of the refractive index, similar to the shadowgraphy
technique.
Probe Laser
M
λ r = 632.8 nm
Probe Laser
λ g = 532 nm
Expander
M1
BS
M2
BS3
P F
ArF Excimer
193-nm UV Laser
BS1
L
A
EM1
Computer
BS2
EM2
OD
BS4
M3
Oscilloscope
F
Delay Generator
Shutter Control
ICCD
Fig. 13: Experimental setup of the two-color interferometry plasma and neutral density measurements.
Fig. 14: New laser focus vacuum chamber and laser interferometer optical systems.
In this setup the plasma is situated in one arm of the Mach-Zender interferometer, which is
illuminated with a 20X expanded beam from two lasers as shown in Fig. 13 and 14. The first one is a
red He-Ne laser emitting at λ = 632.8 nm (JDS Uniphase) and the second one is a green solid-state
laser at λ = 532 nm with powers of 5 and 10 mW, respectively. The probe beams will be sent one at a
time to the Intensified CCD (ICCD). The camera is synchronized with the 193 nm UV pulsed laser
using a delay generator. A time variable trigger pulse can be set to acquire data at different time steps.
Each snap shot of the plasma fringes can yield a complete spatial profile of the plasma and multiple
plasma fringes can be obtained at any time step using the ICCD controlled triggering. The plasma
fringe image data is obtained, and each fringe is generally line integrated. Therefore the Abel inversion
technique can be used to convert the line-integrated data to localized values.
II.C.
II.C.1.
Temperature Measurements Using Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES)
Temperature Measurements in Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium
The temperature at early stages of the breakdown spark development will be obtained from the
relative intensities of O-II lines as described by Griem. The laser induced plasmas are generally
observed to be in Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium (LTE) since these laser induced plasmas are at
high density (1016-1020 cm-3) and high temperatures (1 – 5 eV). For plasmas in LTE, a single
temperature characterizes all internal energy modes (excitation, vibrational and rotational). This
temperature can be determined from the absolute intensity of any atomic or molecular feature, or from
Boltzmann plots of vibrational or rotational population distributions. For a pure nitrogen plasma the
3
3
band of N2 second positive system ( C π u → B π g ) N2 (2+) will be used to measure the electron
temperature. The second positive band system of N2 (C-B) and atomic lines of O and N appear at
higher temperatures (~ >1 eV). The spectral simulations will be done with the SPECAIR code
developed by Laux et. al., The current version of SPECAIR models 37 molecular transitions of NO,
N2, N2+, O2, CN, OH, NH, C2, and CO, as well as atomic lines of N, O, and C. The model provides
accurate simulations of the absolute spectral emission and absorption of air from 80 nm to 5.5 µm.
II.C.2.
Spectroscopic Measurement Setup
P F
ArF Excimer
193-nm UV Laser
BS1
L1
A
EM1
Computer
BS2
OD
EM2
L2
Oscilloscope
75 0 mm
Spe ctrome ter
Delay Generator
Shutter Control
ICCD
Bro adba nd
Spe ctrome ter
20 0 nm
-8 00 n m
Fig. 15: The experimental setup for temperature measurements by optical emission spectroscopy.
The optical emission spectroscopy diagnostic setup is shown in the Fig. 15. This setup will be used to
measure the plasma temperature at the beginning stages of the air breakdown plasma.
Fig. 16: The spectroscopy system: monochromator (Acton Research, Model: ARC-SP-2758) and
ICCD (Andor iStar, see Fig. 12).
We will use our new, DURIP funded, high resolution (0.03 nm resolution) spectroscopy system
which is composed of a monochromator (Acton Research, Model: ARC-SP-2758) and an ICCD (Andor
iStar) (Fig. 16). Our new ICCD is a high-performance, intensified imaging system with a highresolution (30 μm) filmless generation-III intensifier, which provides highest sensitivity (Quantum
Efficiency) from the blue (300 nm) to NIR (800 nm) wavelengths. This provides us a wide range of
spectral analysis throughout the visible region with good quantum efficiency. The ICCD has a large
imaging array of 1024 x 1024 pixels (13 x 13 μm) with 1:1 aspect ratio, with a pixel resolution of 30
μm. Although the monochromator continues to receive the plasma emission throughout the breakdown
process, we can acquire emission within a narrow range (μs) time exposure of the ICCD by
preprogrammed triggering with a variable time delay. By doing so the temperatures at different times
of the plasma breakdown process and be analyzed.
III.
Helicon System Description (C. Mark Denning, Matt Wiebold and John E. Scharer)
DURIP-funded equipment has greatly improved the diagnostic capabilities on the Helicon
Plasma Experiment. The objective of the experiment is to investigate high-efficiency plasma
production and the basic plasma physics of double-layer and particle transport in helicon plasmas.
Graduate students Mark Denning and Matt Wiebold conduct research in the lab with John Scharer as
advisor. The experiment consists of a vacuum chamber with radio frequency antenna and generator
sources and associated diagnostics. The chamber consists of a 150 cm long, 10 cm inner diameter
Pyrex tube connected to a 60 cm long, 45 cm inner diameter stainless steel expansion chamber, which
is a recent DURIP-funded addition. Two Varian (550 L/s) turbo pumps, one at the gas inlet side and one
connected to the downstream expansion chamber provide differential pumping and base pressures as
low as 10-6 Torr. A copper half-turn double-helix antenna wrapped around the Pyrex tube couples up to
3 kW of 13.56 MHz RF power for plasma production. Typically argon plasma is generated, with
pressures ranging from 0.1 mTorr to 10 mTorr. Two RF generators are available, a 1 kW pulsed unit
and a 3 kW CW unit. A matchbox consisting of two high-voltage variable capacitors enables an
excellent match to the plasma antenna impedance and operation with almost no power reflection to the
RF generator. A static axial magnetic field is generated with seven electromagnets spaced to produce a
non-uniform magnetic nozzle at the entrance to the expansion chamber, up to 200 A of current can be
supplied to produce field peaks up to 1.5 kG and plasma source region fields up to 1 kG.
Figure 17: Laser-induced fluorescence diagnostic (DURIP-funded additions have blue captions)
Diagnostics available include current collecting and wave magnetic field probes, microwave
interferometry, and laser-induced fluorescence. The new, state-of-the-art laser-induced fluorescence
(LIF) diagnostic consists of a Sacher Lasertechnik 668 nm tunable diode laser in Littrow configuration.
LIF is used to accurately measure the velocity distribution function of ions in the plasma to determine
the drift velocity and temperature. The beam wavelength is determined using a DURIP-funded
Burleigh WA-20 wavemeter (0.001 nm resolution) and is further monitored by detecting iodine cell
fluorescence with a photomultiplier tube, allowing for determination of the laser wavelength with an
extremely precise resolution of 0.0001 nm. A 45o mirror reflects light onto a 10 cm focal length planoconvex lens delivering the light to a fiber collimator and ultimately to a 0.5 m focal length
monochromator with PMT detector. The beam is optically chopped at 1 kHz allowing two Standford
Research Systems lock-in amplifiers (DURIP-funded) to extract the signal from background noise for
both the iodine cell and plasma fluorescence PMT detectors. A variety of probe diagnostics are
available including a cylindrical Langmuir probe for determination of plasma density and electron
temperature. An emissive probe consisting of a biased, heated filament is used to determine the spatial
variation of the plasma potential along the axis of the experiment. A Mach probe which uses two
collecting electrodes separated by a ceramic dielectric is also available to determine plasma drift
velocity. A wave magnetic field probe consisting of a small (2 mm diameter) glass-shielded 5-turn coil
is used to characterize helicon wave propagation in the plasma.105 GHz microwave interferometry is
also used to determine plasma density.
Fig. 18: Photo of the helicon plasma in operation. (Left to right) Matt Wiebold, John Scharer, and Mark
Denning.
Fig. 19: Left: Lock-in amplifiers, chopper controller, and sweep generator. Right: Wavemeter, laser
head and controller, and iodine cell.
Preliminary results have been obtained on the argon laser-induced fluorescence diagnostic. The
wavelength of the laser is tuned over a narrow bandwidth (~8 Mhz) by varying the laser cavity size
with a piezo transducer. The rough laser wavelength is determined using the Burleigh WA-20
Wavemeter and is further monitored by detecting fluorescence of iodine vapor by passing a portion of
the laser beam through an iodine reference cell. Since the iodine lines in the vicinity of the laser central
wavelength are known they enable measurement of the laser wavelength with 0.0001 nm accuracy.
Figure 20 shows recent results obtained by the diagnostic. The dotted red line is the iodine fluorescence
spectrum and the solid blue curve is the signal detected by the monochromator photomultiplier tube
after lock-in amplification to reject the significant background optical emission. Curve fitting indicates
that the temperature of the ions is roughly 0.06 eV. The vertical blue line indicates the laser frequency
at which the argon excitation occurs. The LIF signal is Doppler down-shifted slightly from this
frequency, indicating a small flow (300 m/s) away from the laser source.
Fig. 20: Laser-induced fluorescence signal (solid blue) and iodine cell reference (dashed red) in an
argon helicon plasma with 3.2 mTorr neutral pressure, 740 G magnetic field, and 390 W RF power.